You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010)

Sally's parents' marriage breaks up when her father undergoes a mid-life crisis and impulsively weds a prostitute. Meanwhile, Sally's own marriage also begins to disintegrate.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gemma Jones	...	Helena
Pauline Collins	...	Cristal
Anthony Hopkins	...	Alfie
Rupert Frazer	...	Jogging Partner
Kelly Harrison	...	Personal Trainer
Naomi Watts	...	Sally
Josh Brolin	...	Roy
Freida Pinto	...	Dia
Eleanor Gecks	...	Rollerblading Friend
Antonio Banderas	...	Greg
Fenella Woolgar	...	Jane
Ewen Bremner	...	Henry Strangler
Christian McKay	...	Poker Friend
Philip Glenister	...	Poker Friend
Jonathan Ryland	...	Poker Friend

Storyline

Follows a pair of married couples, Alfie (Hopkins) and Helena (Jones), and their daughter Sally (Watts) and husband Roy (Brolin), as their passions, ambitions, and anxieties lead them into trouble and out of their minds. After Alfie leaves Helena to pursue his lost youth and a free-spirited call girl named Charmaine (Punch), Helena abandons rationality and surrenders her life to the loopy advice of a charlatan fortune teller. Unhappy in her marriage, Sally develops a crush on her handsome art gallery owner boss, Greg (Banderas), while Roy, a novelist nervously awaiting the response to his latest manuscript, becomes moonstruck over Dia (Pinto), a mystery woman who catches his gaze through a nearby window.

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Plot Keywords:

call girl | manuscript | charlatan | prostitute | divorce | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [France] Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA Spain

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

22 October 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Woody Allen London Project

Filming Locations:

Albion Riverside, Battersea, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$22,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$160,103, 26 September 2010, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$3,247,816, 6 February 2011

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mediapro, Versátil Cinema, Gravier Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (3-track)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Anne Reid unsuccessfully auditioned for the part played by Pauline Collins.

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Goofs

The napkin in front of Alfie (Anthony Hopkins) when at lunch with Helena. He unfolds it, then it's again perfectly folded.

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Quotes

Sally: [to Greg after finding out he's having an affair with her friend and protege] Maybe I... should have told you things weren't going so well with my husband and was... RIPE for an affair. Maybe,
[She ruefully sighs]
Sally: who knows, maybe we could have had an affair before you met Iris.

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: The Social Network (2010)

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Soundtracks

If I Had You
Written by Reginald Connelly, Jimmy Campbell (as James Campbell), and Ted Shapiro
Performed by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra

User Reviews

Another trip to Woody Allen country

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010) was written and directed by Woody Allen. Even if you didn't know that, you could guess it pretty quickly. In Woody Allen country, nobody stays in a love relationship if someone better comes along.

Alfie Shebritch (Anthony Hopkins) is an older man married to Helena (Gemma Jones). He decides to have a (somewhat late) midlife crisis, finds a bimbo, and leaves his wife.

Meanwhile, their daughter, Sally Channing (Naomi Watts) is leaving her husband Roy (Josh Brolin) because she has fallen in love with Greg (Antonio Banderas).

Meanwhile, Roy . . .

Allen has the clout to surround himself with these fine actors, and his movies--including this one--demonstrate his complete command of the medium. The problem is that he's writing and directing the same romantic comedy over and over.

I saw the movie on DVD and it worked well on the small screen. I think it's worth seeing if you're in the mood for fine actors in a lightweight comedy. If you're in the mood for more than this, find another film.